johnson r



April 2, 1929- v N. E. `rJOHNSON Re. 17,258

ARCH SUPPORT Original Filed Nov. 23,` 1923 2 SheetS-Shee1l l 2111929' u N. E. JOHNSON Re. 147,258

f ARCH SUPPORT Original Filed Nov, 25. 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Reissued p 'V from); `1L141No1s;` I'DAMAY rn'rn'ason EXECUTRIXHOF THEEs'nATEor sam P. A.

1 This yinvention relateswtofioot Wear, and

i' ,has for itsfprin'cipal object the provisionx'of kan'improved Ashoe the sole 'structure .of Whieh 'i j will supportjthe plantar surfaceffofthe nor- 51ilmal footin such manner as to f insure proper f e ybalance and distribution" oftheWeight and] j to'{properlyfsnstainfthe arches of, thefoot.

y According to my inventionl fhaveuprovided ianainsol'e of novel shape and form properly'.

supp oitedgor. thepurposesintended;ty In the I preferred" embodiment have. providedan.

improved shank` member designedjto be po,` sitione'd betweenthe-:insoleand the` outer :sole ofya shoe for strengtheningthe vlongitu dmal 'j archy thereof as? Well asI being" shapedfto give-v propersupportf to lthe metatarsal and arched f areas of' the foot. -I am avvaretjhat hereto-j; fore strengtheningjsha-nls have beeny pro\ *l videdjwhich were"alsolintended to support* the metatarsal area f andl the f longitudinal' f a-rcl1,but so far fas'jam -awareyvthese prior ,transverse'archesp'if"thefoot;`v T hatisrtovsay; if any: weakened` condition o rdisplacement in this! area exists inthe average foot my im`` l provedarch support Aan d shank will function y y asnamechanical means for eoriectingg, the oon-l 1 nden thek-other'handgil the yootfisQ l 1al;my ,improvein ents` xv ill yprop er'lyi, .supy 5 por theplantar vvsuriacel"oit the foot in .a cor-f1 reet; position fand ivillf p lYQIlb wveakeningf for `someparticular;weakened, condition or j displaeement, have [not been i' suitable @fas fla:

1 :'Qpmmercial prodnctjforfthe average `A`foot tor;` f "satisfactorily supportingxthe plantarj surface and' for]preventing. weakening'tendencies'ingg pliitewith@relationl thereto; and t the vvarious arches of the"v normallfioot; j;

in theqformiof ash'eetl metal `plat`e, which ynal fa :thereof andf for functioning "as: ,a

Iciallyyinffrespect tolfthelvmetatarsal area 'and i Lhave underlyinglthe metatarsal area slotted or Augusta, :1925,seria1Nol 6763482', filed; November 2:21923; fappiicafion `for f reissuevfnedimnesyrien.; serial yN0.-197,479. p l' otherWisemarginally shaped to give ya Aresil- *,Other objects and artas `the invention becomes better" under# n n y p attend-antadvantages i Will'befappreciatedby those skilledinthisy t e 60 i stood byj reference to the following description;Whenlconsideredgin connection Withthe alc,companyingy drawings, 'invvhichfv i `igure 1;.y is a, longitudinalv Asection through' a Shoe eqLliPPeClbWith `a combined? shank' and: arch support embodyingmyi invention; i

x/Fig; 2 is a diagrammatic top yview showing oneformoftheshank and'archsupport plate l ,1n-relation topa shoe; -z

@fFigs 3 to@ 7y 'nclusive andf9 are crosse-,sec-A kt Onalsviievvsfull size', through the plate taken Ffg; 8 is a cross-sectionithrough'the shoe ofiajffootshowi'ng ,one form of my improved inventionin-its preferredorm'contemplatestheprovision of `a vplate shaped to .pro-y n .e l fthel foot `bornes?r showing inner `longitudinal arch and the #relation o fjmyrimproved platether'eto.

vide, ar member: fol-strengthening the f. arched portionof a shoe between the heeland o thetread portion,r theshape and -function of. -f

which will be; presently more, fully described, This t plate may kbe t pressed from sheet kmetal or may otherwisesuitably shaped and is. i intendedato, be permanently incorpma'ted. intol i the shoestructure. VVhenfthe plateis 'em`- bodiedfi11aWelted shoe, ,ithasfa relatively narrow. posterior Aslial'llrf portion 13,1,the iii-j t side andoutside' edges 14 and :15 ojf Wh ich fit .Y betvveefnfthe"complemental"inseam vribs 2Oy A. of fthelinso1e5 lthe shank-beingthereby held againstglateraldisplacement. As shownfinf" t vlyithegshankfis interposed'. bet-ijveenhtheVl1 y nsole 16 androuterbr. main solelandiov degigning therspaebetweeng the ff? diverging ribs and reaching `to the ball portion of the shoe. The inside and outside edges 14.,.and 15g-,Which followftheentour of the inse'funjribs `diverge inflefining the-.mar- Y.ginal edges of the anterior endportion .19 and then turn inwardly at the Widestpoint thereof, forming an arcuateanterioree 2 1.

vlThe cross-sectional shape ofthe plateis best shown in Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive, and ,the

longitudinal section in Fig. 1. From these fig-u Ires-.it ,will beamed?.that-.theffpeeterior fend portion 13 of the shank is latrand; conforms `to the level of the heel. The outside edge 15 lowers uniformly, thatt is,xi'ncl.ines downwardlyffand forwardly fnoinra point .in the shank portion 13, `Vs'ubstan-tiall-y tto :the intersection level is indicated by a baserlinefin FigsfB to 17 inclusivefinierder to `shop7 the relative level andshaple of the cross-section. K The in` ,side -redge .14 a extending `forwnrdly' :from "a point onthe posteriorendpertion .ot-.the plate y is [increasingly nhiglaerlat 'successive forward stages than'.opposite-points.on th'e outside edget until -sa .poi-nt is reached substantiallyat i' the intersection of then-crosssection `o. This' Will readily Vbexseen ghyvievving Figs. ttol' inclusive in iwvliichtlre level of the outside edge is indica-tedbyldottedline"23,1this high point being indicated by 24. The -vv-idezanterioi-end portionzio'f the =plate s'arched -upwardly both u transversely aand'- longitudinally, the transverse yarc-h beingv best shown in v4Figs. 7 and 8, and the longitudinal archin 10 and 112. ,ItWilLbehereobserved that/the marginal portion .of the .anterior 'endwissufbL stantiallyinn common plane'in said lowlevel and'that Vthe inside edge'. between thefpo-ints 1 24 .and 25 slopes.downwardlyand*forwardly at .ratheranabrupt angle. fItywill also :bev

.-robserved that'th'e highpoint or crown-ofthe transversearch .onthe` section 8 is at the point 26, while the 'high pointat-ithe section 7 is at 27. {lille-high points referred to namely 24,26andi27;aresubstantially lin'ftlre same V horizon taluplanc'; `consequentlypsan iimaginary line connecting fthese points (asashewn i-n dotted.li11es,sFi`gs. Qandll) .will lindicate fthe highest points ofthe arch. l'It will befncted that `this imaginary line ircaches ffrom the 1.. crown of theitransverse arch `shown in Fig.

Y Wise .of said continuation defineline oblique longitudinal axisvotthe shoe asthel line 24C,y 26 and .27, is. one vof the important'V characteri Y 8 posteriorly toward '-the Vinside edge of. the Y plate, .thus .continuing the ltransverse Varch lengthwiseioi' theplatebut so that the highest points Ithe transverse arch `taken vlengthtothe .longitudinal axis ofthe plate; vrThe peculiar shapeofthe arch, namelytheelongationof the high partei' crownlongitudilnally lof ,'tlie.shoe,=or )insa-line oblique tothe istics of'rny invention andis materiallydifferentrom anyprior arch'supp'ert-so farv as #ln in'alrinlga shoeenfibodyingfnry limprovements, thelaetorltheinsole"Willjlbe shaped to' arch the latter similarlyr to'therarchei they latefand a suitable lillerfpad-ES will beiitted eneathkthe arc-hedportion otsaid'plate. If` des ired,the `usual --lilleih strip may gb'e `in` terposedhetween the plateandlthe ofutersole; Byreason of `the lioregoiilig construction, the plate -willbe Isecurelyheld inthe shoe against displacement, at lits inner-and outer 'sides bythe inseam ribs and ra-t1lits anteriorendhy complementalto thearchetl `format-ion' of the plate. Additional means may be employed for vresisting any tendency ffor the -plate to shift rearwardly, such `for e-Xamlale as "small vnai-ls 31, passing' through the posterior end of the vplate into theheel structure. In Fig. 8 is shown in scctionastrip-of felt interposed between-the plate and the insole. -This'strip is merely 'afllinfg piece and entends `through- -v out ftheleng-thof 4the plate. 'Y It should be here lnoted th ing strips-.oranefteri-al vmay -beused between the iifisc'ile'v fand the outer Ysole 1in conjunction properly support'thef inner sole fin-the shape und-'forni contemplated by niy invention.

Referring newl more particularly tio-Figs. 11" and 112,-ivhich show the relation of my improvements to'tlhei'bo'nes, of a normal lfoot,

the #lol-lowing will be observed The plate en! the longitufV tends 'substantially throLi-gheut dinalarch ol'lthefoot and conforms in longitudinal section-tosueh arch except that ithas' no pronounced curvature -rupwardly .in the region Toit the crown ol said longitudinal.arch tor the reason-that l vhave found/that such Witlra` shank platey or-stiilening mein-ber to V9o the 4arc-hedr portioirof'the insole which isV VY10U tin practice an-yzsuitable fill# j,

llil

pronounced arch is not necessary in supportin g'the normal or average foot, and infact, is detrimental thereto. vThe arched. anterior endy portion' of the plate conforms to 'and supports the plantar surface of the foot throughout the meteter salarea', that is',v between t-he anterior transversearch at the j uncture ofthe nietatarsals and phala'nges and the posterior transverse arehatvthe guneture oir-articula# lit F ig. 11, the metatarsalarea referred to'is in dicated .approximatelyby dottedllines 32a-nd 33 `designating the @anterior and poste-rior transifrersefarohes, respectively.' f It v,will be* obseivedtrom tliisview that tlie'crown of the arched `portion of the plateeXtends `in an' i oblique u line as abo'vedescribed, `:the purpose of-whicvliis to continue the highirportioii fof 'the transverse arch 4 of the s plate''loin ogitiidi '-fv nally toward the "region app`roxiinatel`r be;`

` :neatli'tlie intersection of "the inner-ivlongitu-` dinal are'hand"tlievposterior transverse arch'.

This lportion of .tlie foot f when n'ot properly f supportedis one of the first to "become weak eiied, thereby giving canse to displacement of the inetatarsalibonesias"well ,asv i-tlioSe in tlie regionof the posterior ytransversearchi" The;VA "1 arched sliape oftlieifanterior endpoijtion of,

' the-plate provides proportional' fsupportlfoi i' the" metatarsal vbones,` y tliis"eii13.port'being' carried tortlieliigliest le'veland extended from a- Central point-fof* "greatest pressure, 'pos-l teriorly i toward' the inner longitudi'n al archi` It` is not essential.; tofiny invention, however,

` thatfthe high point of `the transverse laroli ,of

tlie` plate be extended alongftlieoblique line;

` described? although it is importantA that the 1 innerside of the plate iin jtli'is region shall higher l"than'rtlie 'enter sidej" Asfshownv in the Cimwingaespeeiaiiyiigsiyioami mit@ longitudinal areli ofthe. plate .1 alongiits centery provides continuons uninterrupted supporti' unmarked byvany depression orfy deforinityg Itf will be-.inore particularly noted---thatfwtlie shape of the sliank'platefaiid likewise oftheE top surface of theinsole is `eliaracterizedy l ai@ im that ihehigiipoinipipeline-n of [the the ks lioe an ""ientf,`f-afjs recesses radiating@approxiinat l f crown/,0fr the/arch; y This i provides a ycontin'nons i properlyproportioned,witlifrr i obtaii'ied -iniitlie` farcliedff anterio y, `4plate,thisbeing accoiifiplisliedbyinaking tli i inside, outside`jandf'aiiteifiorl inarginal'vedge longitudinal` arch` Iin the anteriorf .region y continiiesposteriorlyv andminerges into f the" rflatter i longitudinal y:arch` without depression,

y dat tlie saine' tiigneproiiijdes a support and reiril'o "ceiii'entf therefor; f 1

' soeonteii'iplateswhereby greater lof I ysai j arched portion' "indepjendently` 7res-,il

y provi esy f l' "i base portions permitting lith'effaiehed porfl `tion oftlie plate yto yield iinderpreis.;i`

inyiniproved shank and ineta'tarsal arch sup# the' lprov siliency `isr :resilient sure. jVVlien usingthis con struetion, ythe pad 128g inade of` soft rubber or any suitable i, i.

material. i, i f Y@ p' It willbe manifest from' thev foregoing that y 70 i port embodiesjsueli characteristics .as make it j suitable toxbe biiiltinto any shoe for strengthj" v fening it,1lendiiig..comfort to theweaienieon renting k'displa'cenients in rtl'iearched areasof the 'toot andpieyentingany weakening tend# 75 encies in suoli areas, improvements are'v i i also of suchcharaeterfasjto make theinvery practical as aeoniinercialproducts-:The con?` struction is comparatively simple, "inexpeny ,Y

siveto install in a shoe, and will notfshift or8- become displaced from its Set posiitioin; Inv putti-iig iiiy invention intoqpractice, it elioiildbe 'understood that rchanges might-i be,` viiiade in size, shapeandproportions, andalso,y of thev material 4einployed `inproducing tlie S5 desiredarcli struc-ture in a '.Slioe,`witl1out.y dei `parting` frointliefspirit and Scope voftliejinlventionas expressedl in tlie appended elaiins;y injwliicli-"rv 1 Y I claii'n:

arch "support comprising` .al plate adaptedl to `be yinserted between `the` inner andfouteri'soles of aslioe' and being ,transversely and longitudinally arched for' i 95v supporting `tlie nietatarsal 4area, the `crown of the` plate v"areli extendingr ioni Substantially the kceiiteryoi' lsaid-area, in aline oblique to.'

\ the longitudinal axisofftlie shoe, posteri()rly` toward the inside edge oftli'eplate.`

- 2f A' nietatarsal arch, support as set forth 10; 'l

Vyiiiclaiin l, in which the outside .edge Ainelines i downwardly aiidforwardly -troni a point in `theirposteriorend Lportion ofthe plate to` a;

flow level opposite tlie 'transverse archl of tlie p"`late. v i i g innerfand outer` soles ofav Shoe and'being` y transversely A,andy longitudinally archedy )tor t Y`snpportingy the I'netata'rsal area, Qther erownflm rftli'e`re`ason`tliatfit1." 'l u:ndpositiVG... support:

l peet to the: transverse and ilongitu'dinaly arehstructures ofgtlie footQ.; Itjslioiildbenoted at this point- "of the r platefarehl` extendingr from siibstliif"fy iniiy aienier 0f ein nea', in .e iin@ (iniqua tothelongit'udinal axisy otitheshoe,` poste#v yrioifly toward gtlie inside edgeff'of'stliev plate,- o *tliefoiitsideledgeoftlie plate incliningyc'l'own- 115 ,i

wardlyand "forwardly roina point inthe f "posterior, end: portion of the plate to a blow I eifeloppositertlie traiisversel'arcliofthe plate,

teriorj ',Iiortionu'beii'eatli"` :the nietatarsal areal,A el, y"said"'ante for iportion' beingfarelied-wftof'snpi j arealsaipld theyerownffof jthefarch: 1,3 i f I' i nietatarsalarcli support *compris-ing f afaplate-adaptedto be inserted between the,`

y *4Q A coinbiiied shank and arolji,supportof.:` i `the oli'a'ijaeteri described, comprising a kplate Y. l having' .a relatively `narrow" posterior portion `1.25A

extending Yin la line oblique `to -fthe long itildmal axis of @the shoe, posteiiorlyand Ltoi Ward the inside edge of the plate.

.15'. AA1.com,binedshank. and aroh support of the ehraracter described comprising a Lplate p. havinga-fposterior. end portion-thev inside and 'outside .ed-ges oit zwhich are ,substantially paralleland `an anterior'endfportion relativelynvide ,so :as to underlie y'th-e1 metatarsal bones, thesinsideand outsideredges diverging from e said posterior V.end `poftion. Ito :and

throughoutthe .greater partotsaid Wide porv tion, said wideiporti on beingarched contorniing i to the transverse .met-' atarsal arch f and; the inside `edge ofthe `'plateabeing higher. than op posite point-s on v.the .outsidepedge atftrans.-

verse sections ,taken progressively forward from' said posteri-orend portion substantiallyto 1 the .transverseA arieh of theiplate.

`G. Acolnbiued shank and arch Support as set "orthfin claim .5 "inwhich the erownfof said arched "portion follows 1a' line Oblique to .the @longitudinal axis Aofthe shoe, reaching posterior-ly substantially to tlieinside' edge of the plate.

7. The coinbinationfin-.za shoe, .oa -.co1ny acter described comprising a resilient plate having a posterior' shanlifpoitonand ,annaliterior plortionfthe ylatter being arched ttor supporting thefmetatarsal.. area, said arched Vportion on its inner, outer and anteriorside having marginal recesses,`leaving intermediate resilient spaced portions, said platebeing inserted between `the inner 'and outer soles,V

andthe inner soleibeifng shaped'tol provide `an arch eomplementaltothat of the Lpl'ate vier preventing displacement ofthe latter.

8. The combination .with axvelted `shoe,aof a plate providing a combined shank and metatarsal arch.` support, the plate being inserted between the inner and outer soles, the

inside and; outside edges of theplate eon'orin-- plate.

,i along its center, 'the anterior portion .of said. vlongitudinal arch comprising` approximately. one-fourth V'of thezlength of theshank and'.

l5 havingeonsiderahlyi-shorter radii than the Y 9. In a shoe, a shank nieinberinterposed between an insole and an `outer.sole,having a vnarrow,elongated posterior portion and a widened anterior portion, the shank vmein-` ber being arched upwardly .longitudinally im se remeieingipoterier@0r6/i011 Whidi isfletfer,"

the said-garten@ .portion being Gelso .arehed upwardly ,trensyersely and presenting .a somewhatepherleel top surface, ,the ,longiktudinal garchulcontinuing @from the highest.

pointof' Seiden-tarief portion fposteriorly Without depression, the; Shank memberfgivng continuous support to the 15plantar.surface from the v.medial portionsi of the first, :second and third .metatarsalsy posteriorlyito .the .ar-

bones.

10. 111,21 .Sheeythe eombinatiensetfterthn Cla-ini 9, whichlibe :shank -inember along the ,inner ,-,rlongitndinal fare-h lis `lfiigher han along the outer longitudinal y arch, 'thereby gluing Support to; theplantar .surface-along Said filmer -lilgitudiiial arch )andtheipostelier -t-renereree auch.

lil In; .81198, @ai shank member interposed f between :an insole Efand lan outer Isole, `rhaving a 44narrow posterior vportion;overrjeachin'r the heel.y ande-,widened anterior; portion vthe iront end effavhieh 'reaches to the. bally portion of the toot, theshankmemberbei-ng arched up-y wardly ,longitudinally...and comprising @We distinguishing ar-elles, :one -a fcomparativelfy long filet arelrbetween the ,heeleand i the ywidenedanteriomportion andfithef other a shorter more pronouncedgarehpof considerably short er maldii .andeceniprsiagithe greater 1pare of the` length oztthe said .widened :anterior portion, ',the :anterior longitudinal larch lmerging at its highest Vgpoint rWithouty depression intol the Cposterior, `longitudinal arch, the said widened portion :of the `:shank` being `arched upwardly tra,nsverselae` and ...the insole c conforming totheshaped andbeingfsupported byv the shank member.

V112.- ,In a `shoe, iin: combination, an insole and an outer sole,.the insole being shaped on v a last to support the'plantar surfacefof 'the norinal'footavhen the shoe is Worn, the insole Apoi-tithe.longitudinal arch of the foot, vthe anterior end vvportionof'said .longitudinal arch .having considerably shorter radii than the posterior portion'whichisdlatteig the insolek being .arched upwardlyv transversely across s aidhnterior `end portion .so as to present a somewhatspherical topsuriiaee be-` neathfthe anteriorwand vposterior transverse arches, thelongitudinallyarched surface pro-v viding continuous support to the plantar suri'ace Withoutdepression from the 'medial portion of theiirst, second and thiij'dynietatarsals posterior-ly to the-articulationof the 0s ealeisandastragulus bones, the anteriorly arched portion also .providing continuons support to-the plantar surface longitudinally ata higher level Aalong the inner longitudinal arch than theouter longitudinal arch, and means interposed :between the insole and-the outer soleforis'upportin'g ythe vinsolerin .the

described shape. V t* #13. In a shoe, an, inner sole provided with a convexlylevatedfand twistedv section, ar-

i rangedtheren to fit the metatasal and-longi- V f-t'udinal arch'es ofthe `foot,` said Section eX- Y tendingyfrom the ball ofk the ootsubstan-v tiallyto the'heelptheije'of, Said section having e slightly oonvexedeleation above the inner surface ofthe innersole zit its'forvvetrd` end: with a more sharply 'convexed and more2 eleml vated intermediateseoton, and which near its rear vend "is of a slghter convexity and.

'elevationthan at vits `iont `endl-or int'erme-r i dietev section, and at which rear end snbstsin-y l f 'tially ineigesfwth the Alevel of the "heelv forination of the ,inner` so1e,t the twist of said elevatedkseotion' being Such that it ishigher for substantially its entire length on lthe irl'-` nei side of the foot yportion ofthe innei` sol-e than on theouten side voftheffoot portion of the inner'sole` `and which merges With said inner Side formation.

vMLS E. JOHNSON. t 

